Behind Bars
by sdl
Summary: The story of Claire's little girl and her yearning for the world beyond Ravensmere. A mother's fear and a teenager's wish to explore. A treasure kept behind bars. Rated for language and rebel themes.


**A.N.: I love The China Garden. It's a beautiful story, I wish Ravensmere really exists! However, it doesn't so I must be content with my own dreams and overactive imagination.**

**Discliamer: I am sad to say that The China Garden does not belong to me.**

**---------------------------**

**Behind Bars:**

**Escape**

_Crash! _

The sound of the lamp breaking was almost hidden behind the music that pounded the walls. Rosamund Grace Aylward collapsed on her bedspread with a huff.

Her favorite music was rock. Songs full of pain and screams, guitars squealing until her ears felt like they were about to burst. Katie, her new best friend, had introduced her to the band she was listening to: Circus Freaks. The girls had met when Grace, her name not to be confused with her mother's, had ran away one night. She had got into an argument with her mother about wanting to see the world. In a fit of rage, she had stormed out of the House and rode off into the night on her motorcycle. It was a birthday gift from her father and her mother hated it. She didn't go too far and was found the next day, but she had already met Katie.

_---flashback---_

The motorcycle sped off with a roar, leaving her mother's cries of 'Grace! Come back! Grace!'. She wanted to leave it all behind, to feel nothing but the hard wind tearing away all her sorrows. There was always a moment when everything fell and she was _flying._ She needed to fly right now. Her body moved on its own, upping the gears until the landscape was a blue black blur.

Soon the trip was over, she kicked out the stand and 'parked' on the sidewalk. She had never been here before, but knew it from the conversations she'd overheard from the punks in her school. Her head swiveled to take it all in. Raven Nest was in one of the five abandoned warehouses a few miles from the road. She took a couple of steps back to view the one nearest to her. Each was about three floors, but the club was in a basement. Suddenly, she spied a two girls and a guy lounging on the side of the building second to her right. A glance downward to check her outfit to make sure she'd blend in and she was strolling right over to them. Her ripped jeans and

"Hey." Grace kept her voice languid and calm. She leaned on her left hip and fingered her ring. The girl on the guy's right narrowed her eyes and glared at the newcomer as if she was a rival. She had been clinging to the guy a moment ago.

"Hey." Her voice was loud and sharp. "Never seen you around before." The other girl's mouth twitched with amusement at her friend's attitude. The guy rolled his eyes with annoyance and laid a hand on the first girl's shoulder.

"Yeah. I've been...away. Another place...heard about this one. Is it any good?" The amused friend pushed away from the wall with her boots, but the guy broke in before she could speak.

"Hell, yeah, it's good. You want a tour of the place?" The girl who had spoken first nudged his shoulder with a frown. "Mary, stop it. You know you'll always be first in my book..." He lifted the Mary's chin and laid a light kiss on her lips before turning back to Grace. "We'll be glad to be your guides. So, how 'bout it? By the way, my name's Adrian." Grace smiled inwardly at the name. It had been the name of her mother's boyfriend back then when she'd met her father.

"Sure, Adrian. Thanks." She held out her hand and they shook on it. "I'm Grace."

"Welcome to Raven Nest, Grace. I'm Katie and that's Mary." It was the other girl that spoke. Katie laughed and swung an arm around Grace's shoulders. "Come on! You know? Ravens were seen as bad omens. And now you're going to a nest of ravens. Your life is gonna be turned _upside down_. This place is different from all the others you've ever been to." Adrian walked with them with his hands in his pockets. They walked to a side door of the warehouse laughing and joking. Mary trailed behind them sulking.

They'd had a great night. She drank a couple of beers with Katie while Adrian danced with Mary. The pouting girlfriend had gotten over her jealousy and was even getting along with Grace. Katie was full of stories and ready laughter. She was _fun, _unlike other people in Grace's life. It was the most fun she'd had in a while. Katie knew a lot of people and introduced the most popular band in Raven Nest when they went backstage. Grace had crashed in Katie's room on the second floor when she couldn't take the excitement anymore. Katie was _real_, she was really something...cool with whatever answers Grace gave her. They decided they were going to be roommates. The next morning she found her bike where she'd left it and decided a joyride was in order.

That joy ride was what ended her newfound freedom. She got pulled over by the authority. Apparently they saw her license plate and thus knew she was who they were looking for. Her mother had called them.

_---end flashback---_

She let out a scream and flopped into her pillows on her stomach. Katie...she wished she could go see her. She wanted to go back to Raven Nest and dance and be carefree. But that was impossible, she had come home and stormed upstairs without looking at her parents. Now it was too late, she doubted she'd be allowed out and her only safe haven was her room.

_Why couldn't she go out? Out of the confines of her boring existence. She wanted to see the world, see what was beyond Ravensmere and the rare trips to London. She's only been to London twice and she knew, after she accepted her duty as guardian, it would be near impossible to go 'exploring'. It wasn't that she didn't like the other guardian. They had grown up together and always knew they'd be married someday. She'd never really thought about it, but he was a friend close to her heart. Why? What was her mother afraid of? Even her mother had left Ravensmere, she hadn't always been here. She had been born outside of Ravensmere, never even knew she was the guardian or that Ravensmere even existed. Never until grandma brought her home when great grandpa Aylward was sick. So why can't I go? I'll come back! I know I will! Ravensmere will always be my home, no matter what!_

**A.N.: Anyone interested? Should I continue? Review!**


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